INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 Breast feeding moms raise local awareness By SARAH GLEN BREASTS ARE every- where from magazine covers to beer commer- cials and most of the time they go unnoticed. But try to show them uncovered and feeding a suckling child and. people will start to complain. That’s what the mem- bers of Terrace’s own breast feeding support group have learned in their effort to raise money to buy an electric breast pump for Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH). “Saciety pushes breasts to sell everything from cirs to chain saws, but when people see someone breast feeding in public they get their knickers in a twist,” said: Moyra Flynn- Beaton, a member of the breast feeding’ support group. The group is trying to educate people on the po- sitive effects breast feed- ing has on the community and the mather and child, while trying to raise money for the new. breast pump. “We need to raise $3000 but it isn’t so easy — there are a lot of myths out there that we need to break down first,’ said Nancy Jay, another mem- ber of the group. Jay noles that the big- gest reason why mothers don’t breast feed is be- cause battle feeding is more convenient . She also says that a lot. of new mothers have. pro- blems getting their baby to ‘latch on’ (a term used to describe how the baby sucks) to the nipple. “If your baby ts even an inch off the right spot it can ‘be really painful and uncomfortable,” said Jay. But dealing with these types of problems is just: what the support group is for. Spearheaded by local, long-term resident Pam Straker, the group is cele- brating its 20th anniversary this year. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at MMH’s educa- tion room. “Our numbers fluctuate widely from month to month, but we're always there for mothers to talk about their problems and concerns,” said Jay. The group has already raised $2000 for the breast pump and is planning a garage sale and family dance to help raise the last $1000. “We need more accep- tance and encourage- ment,” said Jay. “Supporting healthy choices in methers sup- ports the community in the long run.” She’ notes that the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF re- cently declared that breast feeding moms should be encouraged to breast feed their babies for as long as possible. “As a global goal for optimal maternal and child health and nutrition, all women should be enabled. to practice exclusive breast feeding and all in- fants should be fed exclus- ively on breastmilk from birth to 4-6 months of age...this child-feeding ideal is to be achieved by creating an appropriate en- vironment of awareness and support...” reads the declaration. Jay and Flynn-Beaton both breast fed their child- ren until they were two years old — the optimum aged outlined by WHO. “You want to give your child the best start in life and breast feeding does that,” said Flynn-Beaton. TERRACE STANDARD ¥ SECTION B 638-7283 LOCAL MOMS Moyra Flynn-Beaton and Tracey McKinnon are twa members of the Terrace Breast Feed- ing support group. The group is trying to raise money for a new electric breast pump for Millis Memorial hospital while also educating the public on the importance of breast feeding babies, Local help available schizophrenia: setting. the record straight LENDING A HAND: Terrace Community Correctional Centre inmates, Rosco Lebreux, Dino Monias and Bill Ryn put the finishing touches on two signs that will be placed at the Old Bridge. The signs commemorate . the bridge's 75th anniversary and are one of the community projects the inmates help out with. Community service projects Inmates make Terrace beautiful YOU CAN sce their work all over town — from the taking and thinning of brush at the four-way stop park by the weigh scales to hauling wood at the new meniorial park in Thorn- hill. -And while they may have to be supervised by an -armed. guard when cleaning up sites around town, the inmates from Terrace’s Community Cor- tectional Centre are in high demand by groups all over the cily. “They are awesome,” said Chris Hansen, vice- president of the Terrace ‘Beautification Society, which regularly uses. the inmates to help clean up fulure or ongoing project sites. - ce ‘The vsocicty has used the: inmate service -counl- less times and has never been let down, says Han- sen. “We have never had any problems with them, They're great workers,” she said. Another local society is also singing the praises of the inmates work. Daniel Barnswell, vice- president of the Terrace Little Theatre Society, used the inmates to help redo the theaire’s worn seats about a year ago. “The comfort of our au- diences has been thanks to them,” said Barnswell, He plans to use another crew to help paint the ex- terior of the McColl Play- house sometime in late August, The idea to get inmates involved with the com- munily by helping out with lncal projects has been in place al the Correctional Centre since hefore the ventre moved to its current location in 1993. “The work the inmates do gives them a sense of purpose and pride,” said Kim Fogtmann, local dir- ector al the centre. Inmates have to meet requirements before being eligible to take part in the program. “They [inmates] have to show good behaviour and an ability to get along with others and be a low risk to the community,” said Fogtmann. But the inmates aren’t the only ones screened to meet the centre’s criteria — so are the projects them- selves, “We've had people phone us up and ask for in- mates to help them move their personal belongings — that’s definitely not a pro- ject we get Involved in,” said Fogtmann. She explains that in the past, the inmates took part in projects thal dealt dir- ectly with the public but now they work strictly with non-profil organizations. Currently the inmates are helping the local Lions Club, the Beautification Socicty, the Terrace Liltle Theatre, the Smithers RCMP and ICBC in pro- jects ranging from painting buildings to raking grass to making cardboard houses. “This is’ meaningful wark for them,”-said Fogt- mann, And Hansen agrees. She goes on to say that many Inmates: have told her thal they can't wail to show their kids the pro- jects they've worked on around town, The ‘inmates also. offer their. services. in..winter, helping to clear snow from — - driveways and walkways around Ferraceview Lodge. By RANA NELSON THE RECENT Jim Car- rey movie, Mc, Myself and Irene, incorrectly por- trays a person with schi- zophirenia., It is important to know the facts of this often-misunderstoad ill- ness. Schizophrenia is a brain disease, Il is the result of physical and biochemical changes in the brain and is youth’s greatest disabler. The usual age of onset is 16 (or younger) to 25 years and it is almost always treatable with medication. Schizophrenia is more common than you think. It afflicts ane in 100 people. That means about 40,000 of your BC ncighbours will be diagnosed with the metital illness. Schizophrenia is NOT: A split personality ofthe result of any aclions or failures of the individual, or caused by childhoad trauma, bud parenting, poverty or drug use. Symploms of schizo- phrenia include: disordered thinking (iHogical thoughts, darting from sub- ject to subject) delusions (false beliefs) paranoia (thinking one is being, e.g., followed, persecuted) hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that are nol there) or changes in emotions and behaviour If you think thal a loved one or friend may be sul- fering from schizophrenia, it is essential thal he or she see a doctor as soon as possible. The person may not recognize something is wrong. Early intervention greatly improves the long- term aulcome, We need to remember that someone with schizo- phrenia is a person, not a disease, Unfortunately, friends and family who do not understand the difficul- ties someone with schizo- phrenia is experiencing may reject him or her. With proper medical treatment, many people with schizophrenia can lead rewarding, satisfac- lory lives. Others will re- quire lifelong support. Very few are violent; more often they are victims of vio- lence. 40-50% of people with schizophrenia altempt suicide; about 12% com- plete the act. Many people are nol accessing ad- vances in medicalions - living on the street or in jail, their disease progres- ses, The human costs of schizophrenia are preat. These include: the loss of potential, the isolation, and the devastating emo- tional and financial impact on families are impossible to measure, We do know that people with schizo- phrenia occupy 8% of hos- pital beds - more than any other condition, For more information on schizoplirenia and other mental illnesses, plus local support services, please call the Northwest Region of the BC Schizo- phrenia Society in Terrace at 635-8206, Aboriginal achievement awards honour northwest residents SEVERAL local aborigi- nal people have received awards for community achievement. The first local Honour- ing Our First Nations awards were presented earlier this summer dur- ing National Aboriginal Day celebrations in Ter- race’s George Little Park. The awards went to nominees who have made a positive impact on the _lives of children, elders, or the communily, Nominations came - from throughout the com- munity, with a panel of judges sclecting the final winners. Keane Stewart received the Cultural Achievement Award, Lynne Wright was honoured with the Com- munity Impact Award. The Social Impact Award was presenied to Geraldine Gunanoot, white an honourable men- tion went to Joanne Coo- ley. Mae Derrick was hon- oured with the Lifetime Achievernent Award. And the Group Achie- vement Award went to the Kitsumkalum Volun- teer Fire Department. An honourable mention went to (he Melis Association. Also presented were winners of the First Na- tions Art Contest. Award. winners were Marg Adams, Sandra Weslcy, Gus Collins, Gerald Samson and Ro- bert Stanley. An honour- able mention went to John Cooley, the youngest participant in the art contest. This is the first time aboriginal achievement awards have been granted to lacal residents. Organizers of the Na- tional Aboriginal Day ce- lebrations are planning another round ofee gs to be doled out aq. The award ceremony took place on the same day as National Aborigi- nal Day. The day was filled with traditional food, art, music and dance and was altended by hundreds of locul residents.